Common Ground
by Gallian Squad 7
Summary: When you have two disparate partners that couldn't be more different from each other if they tried, romance is the last thing either would expect. Even when one wishes for friendship at the very least. Sometimes though, all you need is to find that one thing. That common ground.


**Hey all! After finding out about Trails of Cold Steel 4, I felt the need to do some research on the other games to see if there were any parallels. Considering what I found… maybe it's a good thing we haven't seen III yet. Falcom likes their cliff-hangers after all, and they like making their middle sections really dark. Since there's a sequel to III already being made, that doesn't give me confidence.**

 **In the interest of putting that off, I decided to make something fluffy with Elliot and Fie. I didn't ship these two at first, but darn if writing it in my other story not a load of fun!**

 **Enjoy!**

When people asked what Fie did with her boyfriend on off days, she didn't have an answer at first. They had rather disparate interests, what with Fie preferring to be outside while Elliot stayed inside to practice most of the time.

In fact, when Fie first found herself getting interested in Elliot, she'd resigned herself to teasing and altogether making a fool of herself. She didn't think they'd truly find the common ground necessary to broach what she remembered her dad calling a 'taboo'.

Over-protective man that one, same with everyone else in the corps.

Even then, Fie still loved listening to Elliot's music, and she silently relished the times when it was just them. At least… until she wanted to do something else and Elliot proved uninterested or vice versa.

It wasn't until they'd returned from Heimdallr for their field study that Fie discovered something that just might be the answer.

It had been on her mind ever since they'd gotten back, thoughts casting back to the night before they'd gone to rescue the Princess. It wasn't what she would call up her alley, not with all those frills she'd seen, but there was no way to fake the sweat she'd seen flying around.

So, she asked the one person she could count on to know something.

Emma.

"Say what?" Emma asked, staring at Fie over a textbook. "You want to know about… dance?"

Fie nodded, expression stoic as always. Emma pursed her lips before sighing and closing her book. "Fie, what brought this on? You've been going to the Gardening Club more often and I've been beyond happy with your renewed interest in academics, so where'd this come from?"

Fie remained blank-faced. "What, I'm not allowed to discover other interests?"

"That's not what I meant." Emma groaned, pinching her nose. "It's just so sudden. In fact, you outright skipped your usual meeting with Elliot. I'm sure he's worried you didn't show up to listen."

Fie almost smiled. "Or he's glad for the peace. Look, can you just answer the question?"

Emma frowned, but answered. "Well, dance is something only nobles or wealthy commoners do. Personally, I don't know a thing about it, so you may be better served asking someone like Edel or Laura."

Fie frowned, not liking that. Edel was too interested in gardening to be of any help and Laura, while a skilled swordswoman, would know little. "Anyone else?"

Emma hummed before shaking her head. "I can't think of anyone else. If you want, why not try President Herschel? She knows more about the students and Trista than anyone."

Fie hummed in thought before thanking Emma and leaving. They'd been studying on the first floor of the Student Union building, so it was a quick trip to the student council office. Three knocks later and Fie was standing before a confused Towa.

"What can I help you with, Ms. Claussel?"

Fie looked around the office before finding Towa again. "I was wondering if you knew anyone that taught dance. I'm asking for Vivi, but not for a prank this time, I swear."

Towa looked unsure, but nodded. "Well, no one in town is a formal dance instructor if that's what you want to know. The only ones I know that dance at all are Angie and Lady Friedel. Though… Lady Friedel mostly does it for footwork practice, so Angie's your best bet."

Fie shivered. "Um… can you come with me when I ask? I'll fear for my v-card if I do it alone."

Towa laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, that's probably best. She was in a meeting with Instructor Thomas last I checked, let's try there."

Fie glanced to the desk and the piles of paper on it. "You sure you can do it now? That looks like a lot of work."

Towa waved the concern away. "It's fine. I just need to look them over and stamp the page, nothing hard. Come on, we better catch Angie before she gets out."

Fie nodded and followed Towa out of the building, silently musing that everyone greeted her with a kind of reverence reserved for church officials. Maybe Crow wasn't that far off when he called her a living saint.

Towa didn't have much time to chat with Fie, what with everyone greeting her, but she did get in some small talk before they reached the school building. Then they were before the teacher's office and Towa knocked before entering. "Excuse me, is Angie in?"

Instructor Thomas looked to the door, Angie standing beside him. "Oh, Towa! What can I do for you?"

"We need to borrow Angie." Towa answered, a kind smile on her face. "One of the underclassmen wants to know if she could do some basic dance lessons."

Fie caught sight of Angelica positively drooling at the thought, the horny girl already fondling Fie with her eyes. "Well, how can I say no to the idea of teaching such a cutie?"

Towa glared, instantly cowing Angelica. "She's asking for a friend, Angie. If Ms. Claussel would like to join, then that's one thing, but don't jump to conclusions."

Angelica held up her hands in surrender, but Thomas stood from his desk. "Actually, I'd like to volunteer as an extra instructor."

He smiled wide at the disbelief his words garnered. "In order to better understand a nation's history, one must understand its culture as well! I'm a qualified instructor in both art and performance from here to Liberl!"

"Why not just ask Instructor Mary?" Angelica asked, trying to stop the excited man. "She _is_ the arts instructor here."

As if summoned, Instructor Mary entered the room. "Oh, hello. Is there something you need to ask me?"

Thomas beat them to the first word. "It appears we have someone interested in dance! I've volunteered to help, as they will need a lead to practice with."

Mary smiled genially, eyes landing on Fie. "Well, that's wonderful news. I'm afraid I know little of dance beyond how it's represented in art and music, so I'm glad Thomas has decided to help. Lady Rogner, please take care of Ms. Claussel, but try and find a partner for her before you let yourself drive her away."

Mary left before Towa could correct her, but Thomas kept the ball rolling. "Well, regardless, please inform Vivi that Angelica and I would gladly teach her how to dance. Fie, should you be interested as well, come see me on Thursday with Vivi, but please try and find someone you think would enjoy being a lead. I'd prefer it be a guy, so I don't get accused of anything."

Fie nodded and fled the room as nonchalantly as possible. If anyone was going to get accused of anything, it would probably be Angelica, not Thomas.

He was too silly to want anything more than to help.

 _-Wednesday-_

It took a few days, but Fie finally bucked up and asked what she'd wanted to ask.

For the whole class to join her. Not just Elliot, the whole class.

In her defense, Elliot was a lovely person and someone she truly cared for, but she needed more than just the two of them to survive Angelica and Instructor Thomas.

It had been more than a simple surprise when she'd gathered everyone together to ask that question, but Fie was saved from having to spill the beans by Rean and Paula pointing out that learning was a great way to exercise fine control and foot-work while practicing etiquette they'd doubtlessly run into down the line.

Shortly after that, everyone looked to Jusis to explain the basic terms as he had some training in dance already. He begrudgingly explained the terms and the class soon started to split into pairs, even though Rean had said they would be switching among partners as needed.

Once Fie saw this happening, she made a beeline to Elliot. "Hey."

Elliot nearly jumped, apparently focused on something else. "Oh, uh, hey! You… want something? I haven't, uh, seen you the last couple days."

Fie shrugged, keeping her face straight. "I've been busy. Haven't missed me, have you?"

Elliot didn't fall for the trap. "Well, you haven't been on me ever since we got back from Heimdallr. I thought that heart-to-heart we had would make you calm down a bit, but… well, not seeing you at all is a bit much."

Fie almost smirked. He did miss her. "Well, how 'bout being my partner for this? Maybe it'll be fun."

Elliot blushed and scratched his cheek. "Oh, uh… maybe you should ask someone else? I'm more the guy on the stage, not the one on the dance floor."

Fie sighed, hiding her disappointment behind a stoic mask. "Well, you don't have much choice. Everyone else already paired up by the looks of it."

Elliot looked around and saw that everyone was indeed paired up. "Well, alright then, if you'll have me. Um, when is this happening?"

Fie felt a smirk rise on her face.

"Tomorrow. Instructor Thomas told me what we need to wear too."

 _-Thursday-_

Shortly after classes ended, Fie and her classmates made their way to the gymnasium and found Angelica with Instructor Thomas in the sparring room, both dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Angelica, strangely, was wearing heels while Thomas was in dress shoes.

"Well, this is a surprise." Angelica mused as the class entered. "I was expecting just Vivi and Fie, not the Sevens."

Thomas laughed and clapped his hands. "I find it quite a happy surprise! More the merrier! Now, you all need to change into something comfortable, so please come back after that's done. Angelica's prepared several shoe sizes for the girls, so don't worry about that."

Fie grimaced internally. She'd never worn heels in her life, how was she supposed to walk in those things, let alone dance?

The thought went through her head the whole time she changed, not even noticing the odd looks she was getting from the girls. In fact, as she'd predicted, when Angelica got Fie the right sized heels she almost fell over standing up.

Thankfully, Elliot caught her, his blush making Fie's fall worth it.

"Well, I can see you'll need to walk first." Angelica laughed, no malice in her voice. "Hey, Thomas, while you start with the others, mind if I help Fie and her partner learn how to move in these things?"

Thomas nodded and enthusiastically began the lesson. In the meantime, Fie used Elliot as a crutch as she wobbled around the room in the heels, Angelica giving tips the whole time.

It took her some time, but eventually, she was able to walk normally. Problem was, everyone else seemed to be working on steps already.

"Sorry," Fie apologized to Elliot while they took a break. "I didn't think I'd have to wear heels."

Elliot chuckled, patting her shoulder while he watched the others practice. "It's fine. I don't understand how Alisa or Laura can _fight_ in heels, so I bet it's hard. Besides, it looks fun!"

Fie smiled and leaned on his shoulder, watching the others move in circles on the floor. "Yeah… it does."

They sat there for a few minutes before Angelica cleared her throat. "Well, while I hate to break up the moment, you guys have waited long enough. Come on, I'll show you the holds. Then we can get you caught up with the others."

She clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, you guys are good for now! Take a break while we catch these two up to speed, then we'll see if anyone wants to keep going!"

Angelica winked at them. "I'm dying to see you all in ballgowns."

The girls inched away from her, but Elliot ignored the spectacle and offered Fie a hand. "Ready?"

Fie smiled and took his hand.

"Ready."

 _-November, Three Months Later-_

"Hey, Fie, what's on your mind?"

Fie glanced up from polishing her bayonets. "Oh, hi Elliot. Just… thinking back to when we had those dance lessons."

Elliot nodded in understanding and took a seat next to her. The mill they were hiding out in was silent at this time of night, Machias keeping watch from the balcony's window. It made for a nice place to chat, were it not for their predicament.

"It was fun while it lasted." Fie continued. "Sure, pretty much everyone stopped after two months, and we didn't get any lessons beyond that, but… I kind of miss it. So much teasing to be had, so little time."

Elliot gave her a side eye. "Yeah, and you liked to make me the target all the time. It was fun though, no matter how awkward I felt during it. Like to do it again, when we find some time."

"With actual teachers too." Fie chuckled. "Thomas got too wrapped up in the history and Angie kept trying to fondle me and the girls."

Elliot hummed before standing and holding out a hand. "Actually… would you care to dance, milady?"

Fie stared at him, dumbfounded. "Um, what?"

Elliot blushed and shrugged. "Sorry, force of habit from that etiquette Angie forced into our heads. But, uh, do you want to?"

Fie tilted her head, pretending to think. "…Why not?"

She took the hand and let Elliot pull her up, the pair taking their places and starting on a silent beat. They knew nothing short of the basic figures and moves, and even then, they moved carefully and deliberately. Still… Fie found herself truly relaxing for the first time since that awful day.

Elliot had to keep a blush from lighting the room a moment later as Fie stopped the formal movements for a simple sway.

She wanted to hold him close.

As did he.

Machias simply took a glance down and snorted.

"Love sick dromes."

Elliot heard that comment, but he simply swayed with Fie until she fell asleep. As he laid her down and made sure she was comfortable, Elliot whispered: "Thank you for getting us into those lessons. I never thought we'd find something we both enjoyed."

"Maybe… maybe there's something there after all."

 _-Four Years Later-_

"You ready?"

Fie glanced up before reluctantly applying some more powder. "Almost. They ready for us out there?"

Elliot chuckled and adjusted his cuffs. "Well, as ready as they can be. No one imagined we'd be having a dance competition going on right now, let alone that we'd be in it. You should've seen Rean's face when I told him about it."

Fie smirked and gave herself a once over before standing, far surer in the heels than she once was. "I bet it was awesome. Let's knock 'em dead."

Elliot nodded and took her hand, leading her out of the changing rooms and onto the floor, the green of Fie's dress sparkling in the orbal lights while her silver hair, tied in a tight bun, twinkled with rhinestone ornaments. Elliot in turn had slicked back his hair and wore a suit that cost more than anything he owned save his violin, much to his horror.

"It's amazing to see you like this." Elliot whispered as an announcer introduced them. "I never thought the day would come where you'd be comfortable in heels."

Fie giggled, a practiced smile in place for the crowd around them as they took their spots. "I never did tell you why I got interested in this, did I?"

Elliot raised a brow, wondering what she meant as he held his stance. "Do you really want to say it right now?"

Fie walked forward and took his hands, bending back until their hips touched. When they'd first done this, Elliot had fainted from blood rushing to his head, but now he ignored it. "Why not? There's no time like the present, right?"

Elliot smiled wryly as the music began, a series of notes on a harp **(1)**. "Well, go ahead. I don't think they'll knock us for having a talk so long as it's between us."

Fie's smile widened, letting hours of practice and Elliot guide her across the floor. "Well… I admit that asking about this was entirely selfish on my part."

Elliot nodded and brought them into the endless twirls of the dance. Fie loved if because of the momentum, but it had taken Elliot a while to stop getting dizzy.

"I wanted to find something we could both enjoy." Fie continued. "After seeing your sister and just how much you loved music in Heimdallr… I felt like I needed to meet you half-way."

Elliot was touched by that, eyes finding Fie's as they completed a flourish. "That sounds like what I was thinking about. Never thought of this though, not once."

Fie's smile looked… gentle, something she'd rarely showed. "I was really disappointed when you didn't want to pair up at first, but it made me happy you stuck it out too. Almost made me cry when you offered to dance that night in the mill."

Elliot's eyes widened. "You almost cried? Sure didn't look like it to me."

Fie merely smiled, letting the violin from the song fall over her. She was silent until the end, when her voice crossed the distance between them. "I didn't know how to cry. Or to be happy, relaxed, or anything like that. My family tried their best, but that never left me."

Elliot stared at her for a time before nodding and extending his hand as the next song started. "Well then, I'm thankful you went out to find common ground. It's led us to a lot more things we both enjoy, right?"

Fie took his hands again as the next song rolled over the floor, nearly silenced by the cheers of the crowd. "It truly has… say, do you want to ask me something? You have that look in your eye."

Elliot's smile became rueful. "I'm that obvious, huh? Mind waiting until after the last dance?"

Fie raised a brow but put the thought out of her mind for now. They danced to the best of their abilities for the rest of the competition, dazzling audience and judges alike, while Fie grew ever more curious as the last dance approached.

Unsurprisingly, they won the competition hook-line-and-sinker, so they got to take the honor dance, the last dance of the night.

Fie held a smile on her face throughout, but her mind was gripped by curiosity about what Elliot was wanting to ask. It must not be too important if he wanted to put the dances first.

Even then, it was with some relief Fie twirled away from Elliot's hold and finished with a bow, panting a bit from all the work she'd done in the last few hours.

Until she started hearing gasps.

Confused, Fie peered into the audience, finding the former Sevens gaping at the dance floor. In fact, it looked like Emma and Alisa were about to start screaming if their faces turning red meant anything.

Machias looked… smug, so did Rean.

Frowning, she turned to find Elliot. Except, he wasn't standing there…

He was kneeling…

With… a…

Oh Aidios, did her eyes deceive her?

"Fie Claussel," Elliot began as he held out the velvet box, a shining ring with a trio of emeryls as the centerpiece twinkling in the light. "Will you marry me?"

Fie stood silent, hands limp at her side and gaze glued to Elliot. She could tell he was serious, it was written in the air around him, but…

She never thought the day would come. They'd just be… close friends when Elliot found the love of his life and Fie would just be a hanger-on like always.

It never once occurred that she'd be the one offered a ring.

Something wet trailed down her face. Fie took a moment to place it, but then it hit her. These were tears.

She was crying.

Sobs began to shake her body, but she held out a hand to stop Elliot from standing. "Please… just let me have this moment… l-let me etch in my mind…"

Elliot smiled and returned to his knee, Fie taking a few moments to memorize everything she could. Then, she had her answer.

Fie reached down, covered the box with her hand, and kneeled as well. "…Yes… with every part of me… yes…"

Elliot pulled her close and kissed her head, cheers raining on the couple. "It's all thanks to you that this happiness fills my heart."

"All because you found common ground."

Fie smiled and buried her face into his coat. This was something she'd always wished to have, even when she'd been with the corps.

Love and understanding. Not as someone to be looked after, or as someone that can be depended on as a friend, that was something else.

This was something that showered her with feelings that could only come from someone that knew and loved Fie, not 'Sylphid' or the local tease in Class VII.

This was something that only a true, honest love could hope to give.

"Thank you, Elliot." She whispered, her voice muffled.

"I could never ask for someone else to share my life with."

 _End._

 **That… got a lot cuter than I meant it too. Damn it, this is what happens when I need happy things and end up watching Welcome to the Ballroom. Anyway, for those of you curious as to if this happens in Trails of Blood and Love… well, I can neither confirm nor deny that.**

 **Also, the (1) note tells you when to start playing the song their dance is to. It's called Viennese Waltz B from the Welcome to the Ballroom OST. It's Track 7 on Disc 2, and it is my favorite on both discs. Seriously, listen to it while reading the scene, it's _really_ good. (If you ask me, of course. ****😉)**

 **That's all I have, hope you all enjoy the one shot!**


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